RACING AND TROTTING

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17346, 10 May 1924, Page 7

RACING AND TROTTING

NOTES BY

ARGUS

FIXTURES. May 15. 27—Wanganui Jockey Club. May 16, 17—Oamaru Jockey Club. May 33. 24—South Canterbury Jockey Club. May 34—Elleeznere Trotting Club. May 81. June 3—Canterbury Park Trotting Club. June B—South Wairarapa Trotting Club. June 3. 4 Otaki Maori Racing Club. June 3. 5, 7—Dunedin Jockey Club. June 8. 5, 7—Auckland Racing Club. June 7 —Ashburton Trotting Club. HANDICAPS. May 3—Auckland Racing Clue. May 9—Wanganui Jockey Club. May 13—Ellesmere Trotting Club. May 17—South Wairarapa Trotting Club. May 19—Auckland Racing Club. May 19—Dunedin Jockey Club. Maj' 20—Canterbury Park Trotting Club. May 20—Otaki Maori Racing Club. ACCEPTANCES. May 12—Wanganui Jockey Club. May 17—El lee mere Trotting Club. May 23—Auckland Racing Club. Mac 23—Otaki Maori Raoing Club. May 24—South Wairarapa Trotting Club. May 27—Canterbury Park Trotting Club. May 28—Dunedin Jockey Club. RICCARTON STAKES. The programme for the Grand National meeting was adopted by the committee of the Canterbury Jockey <*lub this week, and there will be general regret that it has been found necessary to reduce the stakes. The following table shows the dispositicm of tjie prize money for the coming meeting, as well as th j amount given for each race last ycai : First Day. 1923. 1924. Hunters' Hurdles . . h 200 200 Trial Hurdles .... 400 300 C aubmere Plat© ... 300 *>so Jumpers’ Flat ... 300 250 frrand National Steeplechase . 2200 2000 km field Steeplechase . . 300 250 Winter Cup . . , . 1000 800 Avonhead Handicap . , 300 250 „ Second Day. Hunt Club Cup . . . 300 250 Woolston Handicap ... 300 250 Beaufort Steeplechase . . 750 600 Sumner Handicap . . . 3<y) 250 *crand National Hurdles . 1750 1500 August Handicap . . . 500 400 bpreydon Hurdle* ... 300 250 Islington Handicap . . . 300 400 Third Day. nongbeach Handicap . . oqq oqq Aylesbury Steeplechase . . 300 250 Heathoote Handicap . . 400 Bfyi Handicap . . 300 250 Sydenham Hurdle. ... 600 500 Lmcoln Steeplechase . . B CO 700 -Keaclins Handicap ... 300 03,1 Solwyn Handicap . . ! Jgg 350 The total saving over the three days amounts to £l9-0. Having decided that such a reduction was necessary’, the committee has shown excellent judgment in the manner in which the pruning knife has been applied. A third of the saving has been made in the three principal events., but the Grand National Steeplechase at £2OOO. Grand National Hurdles at £ISOO and Winter Cup at £BOO ?Gll remain quite valuable enough to attract the best horses in training from all parts of the Dominion, and they will not suffer much from the reduced prize money, Nor will the Beaufort Steeplechase be seriously affected by a drop of £l5O. for it still has the goo 1 stake of £6OO. w bile the Lincoln Steeplechase at £7OO and the Sydenham Hurdles at £SOO remain other well endowed races for those who have missed the principal events. The minor races Jiave been more lightly pruned, and altogether the reduced stakes aro not likely +0 seriously prejudice the success of the winter meeting in August, while th-.i total amount saved will be of substantial benefit to the club’s funds. Th-. allocation of stakes for the remainder of the season will not be made for a few months yet, but the introductory paragraph to the recommendations for the Grand National meeting is signi-firanW-“that this meeting must bear its share of a reduction of stakes.” seems quite evident, therefore, that there w ill be a cutting down of. prize money at the other three meetings, aud already we are informed that the New Zealand .Chip will he reduced from £2500 to £2IOO. While it is a matter for regret that owners will hare smaller stakes to race for. at a time when their expenses show no sign of getting easier, the committee must give proper consideration to the finances of the Hub. The Canterbury Jockey Club, like most of the racing and trotting clubs of the Dominion,

has had to face a falling revenue from the totalisator, and this, with heavy taxation charges, has made it necessary to economise in stakes. There is no ca\ise for despondency, however, and doubtless next season's meetings at Riccarton, starting with the Grand National fixture. will prove highly successful in every way. Nominations for the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s autumn meeting will close at eight, o’clock on Monday 1 night. Mr AY. H. F. AYanklyn contemplates ' leaving next month on a trip to Eng : land. For many years lie was secretary 'j of the Canterbury Jockey Club, and j during a portion of that period he j acted in a similar capacity to the New j Zealand Racing Conference. More recently, however, he has confined his attention solely to editing the New Zealand Stud Book, a work in which he is keenly interested, as he is an enthusiast on breeding. Having recently got the ninth volume of the Stud Book off his hands, Mr AA'anklyn feels that he can now enjoy a holiday. He has made no definite arrangements as to its length, but probably he will remain in England for a few months. Sportsmen all over the Dominion will join in wishing him a pleasant trip. Ballymena. Murihaupo and Glentrum look in good health after their recer.t racing in the north. They are being restricted at present to gentle exercise, and this will be continued, as F. D. Jones does not intend to spell them. He expects to leave shortly for Sydney with a team in which these may i>e in eluded. Ballymena is practically certain to go The four-year-old Royal Despatch, by Clarenceux from Comely, has rejoined F. D. Jones's team, and will b© got ready for spring racing. Glentruin has started in thirty-two races, for fifteen wins, eleven seconds, four tl\irds and twice unplaced. She realised 105 guineas when sold as a yearling in England, so she has been a great bargain. Kitiwake, a two-year-old filly by AYinkie from Kitiroa. has joined AY. G. Hobbs’s team, and will be got ready to race, in Mr G. Gould’s interests next season. Page Bov, by Clarenceux from Tortrix, was to have come in at the same time, but it has been decided to leave him spelling a little longer. H. Nurse intends to have Camel Amble qualified as a hunter, with a view to racing him in hunters’ hurdle races. He is a good jumper, wlio should pay his way during the winter. Although he had never ruin in a steeplechase before. Call Up shaped like a tried jumper when he won the First Steeplechase at Randwick on Easter Monday. Call l p has had quite a romantic career. Up to a few months ago he was running in grass-fed flat races in country districts. He had won several small events with big weights up. and took the eye of AH J. Rae. a friend of the Sydney trainer. J. E. Smedley, who has done so well with Delusion and Bathos. Having been commissioned by the Sydney trainer to he on the look-out for a likelv jumper. Mr Rae recommended Call Up as one likely to get over the hurdles, and finally Call I p was leased to Smedley by his owner. Smedley soon found out that the Scottish King -Lassie Jean gelding could jump hurdles, and he made his. debut at Randwick a few mouths ago in a hurdle race, and showed pace, but was rather careless in his . jumping, to his trainer’s idea. AA'ith more education Call Up improved, but seined to jump rather high, so his trainer conceived Ihe. idea that the gelding would fake more pains if he had more formidable objects to negotiate. Less than a fortnight prior to*the meeting lie took Call Up to Randwick. and schooled him over three steeplechase fences in the centre of tlie course. Idie few- who saw him were satisfied that no l.crse could shape in a more promising manner, as lie showed great cleverness in judging his distances, and jumped lomarUably well. He. then schooled with several other steeplechase candidates over the course, and shaped so well that his trainer was confident he would win He r,id. He never faltered in the hands of the AA'est Australian irrkoy T. Darcy, who also rode Delusion to victory in the First Hurdle Race on Easter Saturdav.

The. Ashburton County Racing Chib has prepared a, good programme for the meeting to be held next month. The tact that there are only seven races each day is a matter for congratulation at a meeting in midwinter. A mistake appears to have been made in confining the first day’s steeplechase to hacks. There, are so few cross-coun-try horses about that it would have been better to cater for all with an open race each day. Zaragoza may return from Auckland some time next week, but Alustard Pot will have to remain in the north for some time yet. *•* If all goes well in the meantime, the New Zealanders, Rapine and Ballymena, are likely to be the star performers in the weight for age races at the Australian Jockey Club’s spring meeting. For some time past the Hawke's Bav Jockey Club has experienced bad luck and a shrinkage in the totalisator investments at the recent autumn meeting represnts another setback. jJie two-year-old colt Nelson Tasker. by Nelson Bingen Sal Tasker, has left A. G. AYilson’s stable, and will in future be trained by F. Holmes. Nelson Tasker is one or the most promising of this season's two-year-olds, and he has attracted a lot of attention in his training work during the last few months at New Brighton. The colt has done, remarkably well under AVi 1 - son’s charge, and it comes ns a surprise that he has changed his quarters. Quite a number of two-year old pacers have been through F. Holmes’s hands this season, having been broken in and educated. Most of them, after their early work, have been returned to their owners, to he let up for the winter months, but they will return to the Riccarton trainer's establishment in a few months. Amongst the youngsters Holmes has handled are a filly by Logan Pointer —Imperial Polly, a brother to "Willie Logan, a half-brother to Fancy Boy (by Logan Pointer—Fancy Girl), a filly by Logan Pointer—Tit Bits, a gelding by Logan Pointer— Dalwhinnie, a filly by Great Audubon —Snowdrift (the dam of Clonmel). These six are all pacers. Tn addition, Holmes has had a filly by Norval King —Bonilene (dam of Bonny Logan) and a filly by Petereta from Boniston, both of whom go at the trotting gait. The dams of these two were specially mated with Norval King and Petereta respectively in the hope of breeding a trotter.

BALLYMENA. CHAM PION THREE-YEAR-OLD Ballymena, the crack three-year-old of the season, and possibly a good deal more than that, was bred by his owner, Mr H. A- Knight, one of the most highly esteemed sportsmen in Canterj bury, and has been prepared for all ' his races by the Riccarton trainer, F. ! D. Jones, who in a few years has btiilt up a great record of successes. Bred by his owner, Ballymena is by I Nassau from Medley, by Varco from I Shindy, bv Singlestick 11. from Nemphar, by Apremont from Waterspite, ! by Traducer from Water witch, a ; daughter of imported Mermaid It is | f.ne of New Zealand’s great families. | but this particular branch had not specially distinguished itself before the coming of Ballymena. There was plenty of speed in the pedigree and doubtless Nassau and Yarco provided the necessary blend of stamina. In the autumn oi 3 922 Jones broke in a couple of yearlings, now' known :v> Ballymena and Murihaupo. Probably with the idea that he was only moderate, Ballymena was hustled along ior the early two-year-old races, so as to be ready before tiie cracks were on the scene He M as at Wanganui early • ir September, filling third place in .the ; Debutante Stakes won by Queen March. : A week later he was again third in the Avondale Stakes and at the same ■ meeting lie won the Nursery Handicap. Thou he went to Wingatui, where h« was second to Top Score in the M Lean Stakes. A trip to Trentham. - where he w as unplaced in the Wellcslev i Stakes, was followed by another unplaced effort in the Trwell Handicap at Riccarton. That finished his two-year-old racing and ho was spelled for a few mouths. When Ballymena left here last winter. as a member of the team that F. 1). Jones took to Sydney, lie was only a moderate .who. it was hoped, might pa> his w:ay. especially over a journey, a- even at that stage of his career his trainer thought he would stay. After hi . surprise in the Australian Jockoy ( lull’s Derby, he returned to the Dominion in October. His reputation, as was only natural, was much enhanced, hut it was a restricted reputation, built only on his defeat of horses of his own ; a tT- none of whom, by the wav. has since then done anything to suggest that Australia > three-year-old form this season is more than moderate. On IDs arrival in Wellington, Ballymena had tlu misfortune to fall on the wharf and injure himself. As a result, he did very little work when he got back to Riccarton, and he was below his best when he contested the New Zealand Derbv. m w hich he finished out of a place. Tw, i later he won the Canterbury Cup : but it was a muddling race, added tc which the opposition was a long wa> j "-eight-for-age. class. Still U<= had done nothing to show* that ho wh? ! more than just a useful three-year-old ) Nest he finished out. oT-a place ir the Auckland Chip, and as he raiTied oidy 7.f> the form did not look good. He made some amends by winning the i Great Northern Derby, with Razzle 1 Dazzle in second, place. On his return frbm the Auckland trip ho was giver ! a spell, after which he.was got readv f ”°J t .^ le autumn meetings. He carried 9.0 into third place in the Waimate Cup, won by Palestrina, 8.13. This ; was a useful performance, especially i a 5 he was not thorouguly .wound up.

Since then he has started five times in the North Island for live wins. Most of these races were easy for lhm. the Awapum Gold Cup, according to his rider, Af. M’Carten, being the most easily won of all his races this season. In the Trentham Gold C’up, however, he heat Rapine handsomely over two ( miles. Rapine did not seek revenge in the Awapum Gold Cup, ran over a mile and o quarter, his trainer hurrying off to Sydney, where, the Martian four-year-old cleaued up the opposition ir. the three long-distance weight-for- 1 age events at tho Australian Jockoy i Club’s autumn meeting. Rapine’s successes at Randwick were ! of tho decisive order, and the Martian gelding was hailed as a champion. If ! this estimate is a correct one, then | Ballymena must rank as a high-class > threc-year-old, for in the Trentham j Gold Cup ho dressed Rapine down in \ good style. In some quarters there ! is a disposition to make excuses for j Rapine's defeat, and to suggest that j he was an improved horse when lie I beat Australia’3 best. But it is hard | to find sound argument for this j theory. To put the case briefly, if ! Rapine was not ready at Trentham. j there was not much time to improve ! him after liis arrival in Sydney. A j more natural assumption is that in j Ballymena he met a first-class staying j three-year-old. Air. H. A. Knight is very modest about the successes of his champion. 1 When discussing the subject recently, ! he made a joking remark concerning j some comment that had been made i about Ballymena. He added that it ! was a little difficult to know yet just ! how good he was. Many people are j by now convinced that he is, indeed, i very good. On that point more ’ should be known in tho spring, when j it is probable he will be on hand to i take on the Australian cracks at j weight for age, and Rapine also. If j Ballymena and Rapine both go to Sydney for the spring meetings, there will J be plenty of excitement. Ballymena has won £12,560 in stakes j this season—£69oo in Australia, and ! £5660 in New Zealand. Adding his two year-old winnings, £515, there ’s j a total to date of £13,075. The only j New Zealand owned horse to win more J as a three-year-old was Biplane, who ! secured £12.357 in Australia, and on i returning to the dominion got £I2OO j more, or a total of £13,557. Gloam- j ing's three-vear-old earnings were j £11.926. while Sasanof was th© only ! other to reach five figures, liis total j being £10.725. The following is a ! list of Ballymena’s performances:— j Two Years. £ Third to . Queen March and Oro- \ film. Debutante Stakes, five furlongs 15 Third to Bathos and York Abbey, Avondale Stakes. five furlongs 100 AYon Avondale Nursery Handicap, five furlongs . . 250 j Second to Top Score, Al’Lean i Stakes, five furlongs. . . . 150 j Unplaced AA'ellesley Stakes, five furlongs . . . . Unplaced C.J.C. Irwell Handicap, five furlongs . . . . Three Y’ears. AYon Second Division Rosehill AYeight Handicap, six furlongs _ . . * 140 Third Warwick Farm. Three-year-old Handicap, one mile 40 Unplaced Tattersall's AYelter, 1 1 mile . . . . . j Second Hawkesbury Spring Han- ' dicap, one mile three furlongs 100 AYon A.J.C. Derby, 1£ miles . 6620 Unplaced New Zealand Derby, mile . . . . . . . . ] AYon Canterbury Cup, 2i miles... ' Unplaced Auckland Cup, 2 miles AYon Great Northern Derby, 11 j mile ~ . . 2100 . Third to Palestrina and Kilfane, AYaimate Cup, l£ mile . . 20 AYon New Zealand St. Leger, mile 700 AYon Trentham Gold Cup, 2 miles 800 AYon Awapuni Gold Cup, 1± mile 400 AYon Great Northern St. Leger, 12 mile 700 AA'on J. D. Ormond Alemorial | Cup, 1 mile 240 I Summary: Nineteen starts, nine j | wins, two seconds, four thirds, four ' times unplaced; total stakes, £13,075. RICCARTON NOTES. Saturday. The Riccarton tracks are drying up slowly after the soaking they received I from the recent rain. The number six : glass track was open for fast work this i morning, and though slow, it provided | good going. Proceedings were fairly in- : terestin&, a number of horses with en- i gagemencs near at hand being sent 1 along at a sound pace. Palestrina broke away at the seven ; furlong post and after going two fur- ; 1 longs alone was picked up by Respondent. They finished together, but Palestrina was going very comfortably. She 1.-, very well, and with a prospect of soft tracks from now on, she may pick up Gumbrae was a little better than Ale- , dusa at the end of a useful spin over five furlongs Option and Lord Leslie moved freely i*j short sprint AA inning Hit gave AA'hipping Boy a. start of a few lengths from the six furlong post The pair finished together. ■" ithout being ridden out. Rivalry and Top Score sprinted half a mile nicely, while Gay Queen and Bonito went well over three furlongs. Tarleton galloped five furlongs by himself. He hit out freely all the way end finished very strongly. j but. he was going comfortably '!u°'the I finish. j Boadicea, Royal Star and Last Dart j were companions in a useful gallop over j time. Royal star afterwards jumped a I couple ui Morales in guoa stylo. I Some Kul beat SaprmKler comfortably | in a half-mile sprint. .Springier did nut i Sdewpoint was given a working gal- • top over six furlongs. Thorndalo actum I punying him the last half-mile. I «»«e over seven ihu'lons^lntoterance could not go far with his mate who : finished full of running. : Integrity rattled on ball a mile : smartly. • Red Ivriss, Petunia and Le Porto ■i gave a good exhibition while jumping j four hurdles. ** Relic gave Carpentier and Fresco a couple of lengths’ start from the five furlong post. He soon made up iii.s ground, but he- was stopping again at. the finish. C'arpentier was the winner hut Frisco also «eut very well. Warseer beat Alfonso over live furiorTg.% but tho time was slow. Whipcord jumped the steeplechase fences by himself. Ho stopped at the sod wall, hut got over at the second attempt. The rest of his display was fair, his worst efforts being at the stand brush, at which he shaped only moderately each time. Came! Amble and Miss Gara-nce were schooled over- four hurdles at a sound pace. Camel Amble finished up with a 1 slight advantage, but Miss Gaianco

a very good exhibition of jumping tor a novice. MARLBOROUGH RACES. FIRST DAY. (Special to the “ Star.”) BLENHEIM, May 9 Gamecock’s win in the Waterlea Cup this afternoon was no fluke, but a most decisive victory, which shows that the old hurdler is thriving in his new environment 011 his owner’s 6heep station near Blenheim, where he is used for backing about the hills. He was sent cut a rank outsider, apparently not being given a chance by the public, and his win was a. complete surprise to all except his most intimate connections. In the early stages of the race Rayana and Aflkari made all the running, but after half a mile had been covered Gamecock was rushed to the front Spectators in the stands were rather amused at his spurt, and confidently waited for the moment when he would rave in and give the favourite, Bitters, a chance, but he never showed a. sign of stopping. At the entrance to the straight Pantler was pushed up to hira and actually headed him, but be came again when called on, and, stalling off the challenge, won most handsomely by .1 length. The favourite, Bitters, finished fast enough to beat Askari for fourth place. in the Wairau Hack Handicap reduced the field to four starters and left the Trentliam-trained Kilmar with the easiest of tasks. She wefn very easily by a length. * Silurian, who hails from Rolleston, in Canterbury, justified his long trip 1o Blenheim by accounting for the Hilersden Trot in comfortable fashion from Bombard and Welcome Boy. He gave a'faultless exhibition once he got fairly going, and should be heard of again before he returns home. After letting the others have all the limelight in tine earlier stages of tlje Opawa Welter Handicap, Stream came to light with a marvellous run on the outer at the business end of the journey. and in a rattling finish settled All Gold by a length. It was a great performance. which showed that the Sunny Lake gelding is at the top of hi: form. Bonnie Gold was a good favourite in the Beaver Hack Handicap. The Bolter set out to win on his own and led the others by three lengths as they turned into the straight, but the favourite had too many guns for him in the run home, and won a very nicely judged race by a .neck. 'Martinique, after missing a chance of getting through in the straight, ran third. The Autumn Handicap went to Barleycorn. who is now racing in the name of Mr J. F. D. Corry. His win represents the young owner’s first victory, and it was a popular one. Barleycorn is a much improved horse a'nd the result was never in doubt. Island made all the early running, but could not stay it out. Happy Days was going last at the finish, and ran into second money on the post. Proud Joyce, who hails from Richmond. was backed down to a short price in the Either Trot Handicap, and duly delivered the goods. She was on terms witl: the limit horses after half a mile had been covered, and when called on left the others behind The Heretaunga colt Boniita was made hot stuff in the Soldiers’ Hack Handicap, the public apparently not hawing noticed Martinique’s hard luck earlier in the day. Boulita had overt chance, and was in the van till the straight was reached, hut when Martinique was called on he passed ihg cnlt m a flash and won by half a length Bonnie Gold, humpiiqg a 7lb penalty for her earlier win, was third and Axle was fourth. The last-named was in a. bad mood end caused a lot of delay at the fttr.rt, HAWKE’S BAY NOTES. (Special to the “Star.”) NAPIER, May J>. it is stated that Mr Jrur>>ert jeoagfe, the owner ci Fast salute and \v atchWitii lion Revo, Las accepted tuJ pom* Slcod. j.'ms may be taken to indicate tituw Mr Stead intends to resume ractentice, scale than he has clone feCiis-on. Lather’s Voice will aiso remain m vne same, stable. i he Author lias been sold by Mr AY. King, .of Wajpukurau, to iviessrs Browii and Hennessey.' of Te Rake, ami he left for ins new home on 'i.hUTbclay night. The price is said to it k understood that the Hawke’s Bay Jockey . Ciub’s recent autumn mooting just escaped financial loss, so that, with any tiling like luck, the meeting would have resulted in a lair credit balance. Tiio recent meetings of the Napier Park Racing Club and the Vaipuuurau Jockey Club resulted n a profit. Biuck Art is almost certain co fulfil his engagement in the Wanganui btoepLscfiaae. There are few horses not in the top class who have paid their way as well as Battle Ivnight has acne this season. The son of hoi ferine—Madanvv ! is a great favourite with his owner, i on account of his ganieness and conI tistenev, and in small stakes lie has j won over LI 000 this season. He is I evidently a hardy sort, and has douj , a lot of travelling and racing, j Where are we going to get anv new Mood in steeplechasers from? is a frej queutly heard query. The .jumping | season has not advanced very far yet j but there are rumours that some* of j they are much older that the veteran ! division will not win all the big races : : A few gallops in company should see : Comical in good racing trim again. He • bus grown into y. nice stamp of horse. ! H was originally intended to keep him. for jumping, but he may be given a | luce or two on the flat first.

WINTER RACING. I ASHBURTON COUNTY RACING CLUB. ' The committee of the Ashburton Rac-inc i Club met yesterday and drew up a . prcgraojime of even I s for the fluturau • meeting abandoned on account of the i railway strike. Mr E. B. Newton presided. others present being Messrs T. E. Upton, H. F. Nicoll. J. Grigg, E. F. Nicoll. j I H. Morris, J. if. Grigp. R Kennedy. J. Sv ; Laing and J. Findlay. The programme, j J which has been reduced from eight to I First day—HtirdJ© Handicap, of 1"? sovs. | one mile and a half; Maiden Plate, of 125 J ! ao'-e, five furlongs 'special weights>; Hack | Steeplechase, of 1 75 pots, two miles: Selma j j Trot Handicap, of 160 sov?. one mile and I a lie If; Ashburton Handicap of iso sovs. j one mile; .Longbeach Hack Handicap, of j lao sovs, six furlongs: Grove Farm Han- j dicap, of 150 sovs. six furlongs, j Second day—Second Hurdle Handicap, of I l 150 sots, one mile and a half; Winchmoro | HlvK Handicap, of 125 sovb, five furlongs, | Winter Steeplechase. of 200 sovs, two mile? | i Melrose Trot, of 150 sovs. one mile and 1 a quarter-. County Handicap, of ITo sovs. 1 I seven furlongs; Moreton Hack Handicap. of 150 sovs, seven furlongs: Wakaaui Han- . dicap, of 150 fovs, six furlongs. 1 The stake tv 1;ala £2210*